The Best Part of Me
by Candra 'wolfgal97
Summary: The alpha pack is targeting Stiles. Derek won't allow anything to happen to him. Lots of feels!
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is a story that goes with a picture on deviantart. The cover is the art and the link to the page is on my page. Thank you, ApolloFan! I own nothing._

_A/N 2: I have decided that I wanted to break this story up, give it some more feels, add a pinch more Sterek to the end and see what you think. It's basically the same as the original one-shot, but with bonus features. So here yah go, my loves! _

_Disclaimer: I own nothin', but if Jeff Davis wanted to let me have Derek for a night, I promise I'd consider bringing him back..._

**The Best Part of Me**

**By wolfgal97**

"What do you mean I have to stay at your creepy burnt house in the middle of the woods?"

"Stiles, you won't be alone. I'll be there, too," Isaac pointed out.

"Oh, so a newly made beta werewolf will be there with me in an alpha werewolf's house. An alpha who hates me, to top it off. This is just wonderful."

"Derek, Scott and I are all just worried about your safety. The alpha pack has made it clear that they're interested in you. The best way to keep you safe is for one of us to watch you at all times."

Stiles rolled his eyes. He understood why he couldn't stay at home. He didn't want to put his father in harm's way. With the alpha pack watching him, he did need to stay around a wolf friend, but Isaac and he didn't really talk much, and Derek... well, he had no freaking idea what was going on with that nutty alpha.

"Why can't I just stay with Scott?" the human asked.

"Because Scott sucks. He'll be moping about Allison and plus, he has a job. He's not available to watch you well enough. Besides, it's best if you stay with Derek and me. I mean, he's an alpha and you guys are friends."

"Woah, woah! Derek and I are not friends. He doesn't like me and I don't know if I really like him that much either. Sure, we've saved each other's lives a few times, but other than that, I have no idea what gives you the impression that Derek gives a howl about me."

Isaac shrugged, now obviously feeling self-conscious. "I don't know. He... he just seemed really upset when he read the note."

For some reason, Stiles' heart sped up just a little. "Really? I mean, other than basically telling us they want to use me as a chew toy, what did it say?"

"Derek has it. But basically, it said that they saw we had a human pet and that we should keep an eye on you or you might go missing," Isaac whispered.

"Really? That's all that's got you guys freaked out?"

"Stiles, it's a whole pack of alphas. I would be freaked out if I were you."

"You mean if you were human and weak?" Stiles asked, silently admitting his fears. It had been eating away at him, feeling that he wasn't important enough to be pack. Just because he was human, he wasn't strong or fast enough to tribute to the pack.

Isaac watched the human very carefully. "You do know that you're pack, right?"

Stiles shrugged, but kept his eyes on the road. "Not really. I mean, sure, I help Scott out. And Derek and I are usually okay with each other, but really, I'm not important. If I wasn't there, I wouldn't be missed."

"What are you talking about? Of course you would be!"

"Really, Isaac? You tell me what I do for the pack. I mean, Erica and Boyd did more than me, and they're missing. Scott is all loyal and good, you're a fast learner and have more control than any of them, and then you have Derek, the wolf enigma. He's strong, fast, he knows what he's doing, and he does it all while looking like that!" Stiles exclaimed while pulling into the Hale house yard where the last Hale was waiting in the porch.

Isaac was about to comment, but he didn't have the chance to. Stiles parked and got out of his car while pulling his bag out of the back seat. Isaac rolled his eyes in frustration before getting out himself.

"What took you so long?" Derek barked from the porch. He was fixing Stiles with that intense stare that only his eyes could pull off. Stiles shivered under his gaze.

"I had to get packed, sourwolf. And you know how fashionable I am. I had to make sure I packed my whole wardrobe," Stiles shot back.

"Plus, I had to wrangle him into the car," Isaac coughed.

Stiles was ready for Derek to slam him against a wall and threaten to rip his throat out with his teeth. Or for a verbal assault about how Stiles needed to stop joking around when something so serious was going on. He did not. The alpha simply nodded and turned to stalk into his burnt shell of a house.

Stiles gave Isaac a questioning look, but the teen just shrugged and followed Derek inside. Stiles stayed close to him. "So... where do I sleep?" the human asked.

"Where ever you find space," a new voice called from what used to be the living room.

Stiles' eyes bugged. "Can someone please tell me what the hell psychowolf is doing here?!"

"He's pack. And right now, we need as many on our side as we can get," Derek explained calmly.

"Besides," Peter said, "someone has to fix up this dump. Might as well be someone with style."

Stiles looked around and had to admit, the place looked a little better. Rooms that had once been half-standing had been completed with new wood. Now, you could see the beginnings of a kitchen, complete with microwave, oven and stove. There was also an older round wooden table in the smaller room in the back, showing that room to be the dinning room. And then there was the living room where a green couch and a few chairs were. A bookcase had even been drug in. It was old and battered, but a few shelves had a couple of books on them.

All in all, Stiles believed the place looked a little better. And that was just the main floor. He hadn't even been upstairs. Well, in fact, he'd never been upstairs. Not yet.

"Okay. So I'm here. In a house full of werewolves. What am I supposed to do?" Stiles asked, boredom already setting in.

Derek was already heading up the stairs. "Find away to entertain yourself," the alpha said. And then he was gone.

"So, he makes me come out here, and then leaves me. Where does that make any sense?" Stiles asked the teen wolf laying out on the couch.

"He does that a lot. If he's not giving orders, he's upstairs brooding or out for a run," Isaac explained.

"Well, why doesn't anyone go up there and get him?"

Both Peter and Isaac fixed him with a look questioning the teen's sanity. "You don't go into Derek's room. Ever. You just don't do it," Isaac said.

Peter chucked and turned his gaze back to his book. "My nephew and I agree on the fact that sometimes it's good to get away from the world for a while. He just doesn't understand the idea that you have to eventually come back."

For once, Stiles didn't know what to say to that. He just had a little voice in the back of his head gnawing away at him to go upstairs and drag the alpha out to be with people. He knew Derek was emotionally scarred, but he just didn't know why he cared so much...

"Fine, well what am I supposed to do?" the teen asked, changing the subject.

"I don't care," Peter sniffed. "Just try not to be annoying."

"I'm gonna take a nap," Isaac announced before curling into a ball on the couch.

Stiles sighed. "Yo, Peter! Are there any good werewolf books around here?" he asked.

The wolf shot him a glare, but at the sincere look on Stiles face, he let it slide away before digging in a pile of books on the desk where he and his laptop sat. He found an old looking one with a brown tattered cover and tossed it over his shoulder at the human. "Try that. I think you'll find it... informative."

Stiles caught the book and flipped it over to read the cover. "Lycanthropes?"

"Chapter eight," Peter said shortly.

The boy opened the book and sank into the nearest chair, becoming totally absorbed in what he was reading.

The chapter was all about alpha werewolves and their abilities. It said how they were to look after their pack and would form separate bonds with each pack member, feeling protective of all, but mostly protective of their mates.

Stiles continued to flip through the book, discovering that werewolves not only heal quickly, but they can also take the pain away from others if they wish, though they will feel the pain instead. Stiles thought that that was a sucky deal.

By the time he'd skimmed through the whole book, he felt a little tired. So, he decided to question Peter.

"So, how much of that book was even remotely close to the truth?" he asked.

"Actually, because it was written by a friend of a werewolf, it was closer than most."

Stiles thought about that for a while before another question came to mind. "So, you're saying that other packs have had a human in them before?"

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Regretting not taking the bite?"

"No! I was just curious..."

"You know, if you've changed your mind, you could just ask Derek for the bite. I mean, it sure would make life easier if we didn't have to babysit you," Peter snipped.

And he hit the nail right on the head. "Forget I asked," Stiles hissed.

It was then that the alpha decided to come downstairs. His piercing eyes looked over the room to see his teen beta asleep and his uncle receiving a death glare from a sleepy looking Stiles.

"Stiles," Derek called. The teen jumped when Derek said his name, worried that he'd somehow pissed the huge alpha off. It didn't take much.

"What?" Stiles asked almost defensively.

"Why don't you go get some sleep? You can use the room upstairs to the left," Derek said. His suggestion was more of an order. One that Stiles wasn't in the mood to argue with.

The weary teen pulled his heavy body out of the chair. Stiles stumbled past Derek and up the wooden staircase. He followed the werewolf's instructions and made his bleary way to the first door on the left.

It was when he had fell in exhaustion to the bed that his mind woke up just a little bit. The smell of the pillow his face was buried in... It smelled exactly like Derek-I'll-rip-your-throat-out-with-my-teeth-Hale. Stiles sniffed again, just to make sure he was right. Then, he got up off the bed like it was on fire.

Stiles looked around the room and noted that the only thing in it was a chair with a black leather jacket draped across it. Derek's black leather jacket. The jacket that Stiles knew he wasn't supposed to touch, but wanted to anyway.

So, blaming it on his ADHD, he did.

Like a kid at christmas, Stiles slipped his skinny little frame into the huge jacket that was way too big for him. It smelled like the bed, like it's owner. Woodsy and like the night. Stiles shivered as he breathed in the scent.

That's when he came to his senses and peeled the jacket off. He gingerly put it back where he found it and backed away slowly like an alarm had gone off to alert the irritable alpha to what he'd done.

And finally, the question sunk in. Why had Derek told him to go sleep in what appeared to be the werewolf's room? His personal brooding den of moodiness? Why had he let Stiles in, of all people?

The teen decided that it must have been a mistake, that he'd found the wrong room. But that wasn't possible. He'd followed Derek's directions to the letter, for once. Maybe Derek had messed up?

Stiles decided to ask. He backed slowly out of the room and closed the door slowly behind him. He then began a slow decent down the stairs, feeling like every move he made was being watched.

It was when he got four steps down that he heard the voices. Down the stairs and in the next room over, he could hear the wolves talking. He froze in place and decided to listen to what was being said.

"So if they show up, Peter and I hold them off here while you get Stiles out, right?" Isaac asked.

"Yes. You two will be able to pick them off here while I keep Stiles safe," Derek said.

"So you get to run while we're left here to fight alphas. Good plan, Derek."

"Peter, Stiles needs protected. When they figure out he's not here, they'll come after me. As alpha, I can take them on while as betas, you need numbers."

"I don't see why the human is so important. I mean, he's smart, yes, but he's not a wolf. He doesn't want to be," Peter said cooly.

"Stiles is pack," Isaac defended.

"As alpha, Derek would be willing to die for pack. Tell me, would you die for the human? Is he that important to you?"

"Yes, I would die for him," Derek said before Stiles could even process what was being said.

"Why? Why is he so important to you?" Peter quizzed.

"Because it's Stiles. He's hyper, annoying, and he never shuts up, but he's my pack."

"Would he do the same for you? Would he save you?" Peter challenged.

For a while, there wasn't an answer. But slowly, quietly, like a whisper, it came.

"He already has."

Peter must not have known what to say to that. But, the sharp-tongued wolf always had something to say. "Fine. If he's that important to you, I'll fight for him. But you might want to ask yourself how attached you're getting to him."

"You're dismissed," Derek growled.

The conversation was over. Stiles knew that he needed to get back upstairs or that they would find out that he'd been listening. He went back up the stairs and found his way into Derek's room. He had just laid down on the bed when the door opened and Derek came in.

"If you want to eavesdrop on werewolves, make sure you control your breathing," Derek said bluntly as he sat in the chair in the corner, head rolled to the side, allowing him to gaze out the window.

Stiles blushed, but played it off. He sat up in bed and fixed the werewolf with a stare. "Are you gonna sit there all night?"

"That was the plan."

"And what? Watch me sleep? That's creepy. And what about when you get tired?"

"Wolves don't need much sleep," Derek shrugged.

"Uh-huh. And why do I get the feeling that you get less than that amount they do need?"

Derek didn't answer because Stiles was right. He didn't get much sleep. He was too busy worrying about keeping his pack safe and about the alphas. And when he did sleep, it was full of nightmares that kept him awake at night.

"Why don't you come get some sleep?" Stiles asked quietly, patting the place on the bed next to him.

"I... I need to be awake. I have to be alert in case-"

"Oh, shut up," Stiles said. "You're a freaking werewolf. You'll hear them coming."

Derek didn't want to admit that the reason he didn't want to sleep was because of the bad dreams that had him waking in the middle of the night screaming. He couldn't...wouldn't show weakness.

Still... the look that Stiles gave him... he couldn't say no. He sighed and joined the teen on the bed. Stiles grinned, knowing that he'd just won.

They both laid down, backs to each other. Several minutes passed before Stiles' mouth had to run. "Derek?"

A soft growl let Stiles know that the wolf was listening.

"Why do you care so much? About me? I mean, I'm just human and I'm not really pack..."

"Stiles, did you not understand anything that was said tonight? You are pack. Whether you think you are or not, you really are. You've done way more for this pack than about anyone. Especially Scott."

"Yeah, but other than that, why do you care so much? I mean, sure, I'm pack..." Stiles didn't know how to say his insecurities.

"You've always been there for me when I needed you, whether you wanted to be or not. You've saved my life before. I honestly trust you more than anyone else. I'm just... unsure about it because the last person I trusted... It didn't end well."

Stiles was surprised that Derek was being so open with him. Derek wasn't really the talking type, but tonight it was like a whole new person was there inside of him, opening up the teen.

"You've already saved me before. That night at the hospital when we figured out Peter was the alpha, if you hadn't come to get me, I would've died."

Derek didn't reply to that. Stiles turned and looked at the wolf to find him fast asleep. The teen smiled before turning back around and letting sleep take over...


	2. Chapter 2

**The Best Part of Me**

**By wolfgal97**

Stiles woke up to being knocked off the bed. He was fully alert when his body his the hard wood floor. He scrambled to his feet and looked around the room, trying to figure out what had knocked him down when his eyes spotted a rambling, whimpering, flailing Derek.

The werewolf was mumbling things in his sleep. His nails had elongated to claws and his teeth to fangs. His eyes were closed shut as tight as could be as he thrashed around at imagined foes.

"No! Won't... won't tell... No, no! I don't know! Uhg... No, please. Not again. Kate, no!"

Stiles could only stand there and gape. Derek Hale, alpha werewolf of all that is boss, was practically begging for something. It honestly broke the human's heart. All he wanted to do was hold Derek and let him know that he was safe and nothing could hurt him.

"Derek? Hey, Der, wake up," Stiles called gently to the wolf. When he didn't get a response, Stiles reached out and tapped the man's shoulder before pulling his hand away as fast as he could, worried the wolf would wake and bite his hand as a reflex.

Derek just squirmed away from the touch like it had hurt him. This caused Stiles to feel worse. For a second, the teen considered going to get Peter, because he didn't know what to do. Still, his dislike for the beta wolf made him decide against it. Derek had said he trusted Stiles, so Stiles had to take care of it.

Stiles managed to snatch Derek's hand and held on for dear life. "Derek, buddy, you gotta wake up! Okay? Wake up!" the teen pleaded.

Grayish green eyes snapped open, focusing instantly on Stiles. "Wh-what happened?" Derek asked.

"It was like you were having a bad dream... Are you okay?" Stiles asked.

Derek nodded and took a deep breath to calm himself. "It was just the dream..."

"The dream? You mean this happened before?"

The wolf looked uncomfortable. Stiles gave his hand a squeeze. "Derek, if you want to talk about it..."

Derek sighed, his eyes closing shut. "It's nothing, Stiles."

"You said her name. Kate's."

His eyes snapped open, burning red. "I was in the cellar again. She... she was trying to get me to tell her who the alpha was, and give up Scott's name. I wouldn't. So, she... she wasn't nice."

"I gathered that. What did she do to you?"

"She... tortured me, Stiles. Physically and mentally. She kept telling me how I killed my family. And I deserved it. Every second of it."

Stiles smacked Derek in the back of the head, the sound of impact echoing off the walls. Stiles glared into Derek's wide eyes. "Don't you say that. Don't you ever say that. You didn't deserve to be tortured, Derek. You were a kid who made a mistake."

"I killed my family," the wolf whimpered. "I'm a monster."

"No, she did. You were used. But you didn't kill your family, Derek. Understand me? You aren't a monster."

"Stiles, I'm a werewolf. They make monster movies about us."

Stiles shrugged. "You have me there. But you're my monster."

Derek nodded slowly, his breathing back to normal and his mask back in place. He wasn't broken Derek anymore. The cracks had been covered with tape and he was Alpha Derek again.

"Do you feel like going back to sleep?" Stiles asked.

"No."

"Well, just stay in bed then. It'll be really awkward if I have to sleep and you just sit in a chair and watch me. So just stay, okay?"

Derek nodded. He could hear Stiles' desperation to not be alone, and he himself would like the company as well. He laid back down, his back to the teen. His eyes were wide open, refusing to yield to sleep's demands.

"Hey, Derek?"

"What?" he replied with a little less growl to his voice than normal.

"I won't tell anyone."

Derek had to think about that for a moment. "I know you won't, Stiles."

"Hey, Derek?"

"What now, Stiles?"

"What if... what if I asked you for the bite?"

Derek turned around and fixed Stiles with that stare of his. "Do you want the bite?"

"Just hypothetically. If I asked you to bite me, would you do it?"

Derek didn't have a chance to answer. Isaac burst through the door panting, claw marks raking down his cheek. Growls rose up from the bottom floor, reaching Derek's ears. "They're here! Derek, the alphas are here," Isaac gasped.

Derek was up and had his leather jacker on in the blink of an eye. Stiles pulled on his shoes and listened as the wolves talked.

"Isaac, I need you to push ahead of us. Stiles and I are going to make a run for it. Do you remember the plan?"

Isaac nodded. "Yeah. Just make sure he's safe."

Derek turned to the human, then. "Stiles, we have to run. You have to be fast. We're going to try and make it to the car. Okay? Just stay behind me."

The human nodded and was ready to run. Isaac ran out of the room, snarling and leaping down the stairs, throwing himself at a larger male wolf. Derek and Stiles flew after him, busting through the front door. Their feet hit the ground and they ran into the cold night.

They made it to the car, but the hood had been crushed and the battery ripped out. Derek cursed and grabbed Stiles by the shirt, pulling him into the woods.

"Derek, what the hell are we gonna do?"

"We're going to get as far away as we can. Isaac ad Peter will find us when they get rid of the pack."

The two ran as fast as they could in the dark, stumbling as sticks and branches pulled at their clothes. Eventually Stiles initial adrenaline rush wore out. Though he was a relatively fit person, he wasn't a werewolf and he couldn't mile after mile like Derek. He was exhausted and couldn't run any longer.

He fell to his knees, gasping for oxygen. "Der-Derek, I can't... can't keep..."

"Yes, yes you can! You have to! Stiles, they're close by. I can hear and smell them!"

The teen tried to stagger to his feet, but he couldn't stand. Derek wouldn't accept that. He yanked Stiles up and picked him up bridal style. He continued to run with the boy in his arms. Stiles knew this was a problem.

"Derek, I'm slowing you down. They're going to catch you."

The werewolf didn't say anything. His breathing was getting heavier, but he ran on.

"You should just leave me and run. You've done more for me than you should have."

"Stiles, shut the hell up," Derek huffed.

It was when Derek stumbled and fell to the ground that he knew what he had to do. He could no longer keep running, but he had to keep Stiles safe. His eyes skimmed the woodline for a thick bush when he found one.

"Stiles, come here," he called, pulling off his jacket.

Stiles obeyed and came to where Derek was. "What?"

"Put this on," Derek said, tossing him the jacket. "It'll cover up your scent when they come. They won't know you're here."

"Uh, except for using their eyes," Stiles argued while pulling the sacred jacket on.

Derek shook his head. "Not if you hide in there," he said while pointing to the thick bush.

"Okay," Stiles agreed. "What about you?"

"I'm going to take care of them," Derek said darkly.

That didn't make Stiles feel good. "Derek? What do you mean?"

"I mean, shut up and get in the bush," Derek demanded. "No matter what, you stay here and stay quiet."

Stiles couldn't really argue with that. Well, he could, but he knew that if he did, Derek would flash those red eyes and he would back down. So, he crawled under the bushes and managed to peek out at Derek.

He had just hidden himself when the alpha pack showed up.

Fear clinched Stiles' heart. He knew that what was going to come next wasn't going to be good. He had seen five wolves back at the house, and though there were only three now, a three to one fight wasn't going to be good.

"Hale," a deep voice with an accent called. He had chin stubbled and long dirty blond hair that hung around his face.

Derek said nothing. His red eyes followed the moments of the man who had spoken, who appeared in charged. He also eyed the twin boys that flanked him. All four alphas eyes glowed like embers in the night.

"We can make this simple. Where's the human?" the leader asked.

"Why do you want him?" Derek asked.

"Because you care about him. It'll make you weak if we kill him, and plus it'll be fun to play with him for a while."

"I don't know where he is."

"Ah, but Hale, you do know. He was at your house tonight."

"Say I did. I wouldn't tell you," Derek challenged.

The other alpha snarled at the rebellious tone. "Watch how you speak to me, young one. I'll have to teach you some manners."

Derek shrugged like he did care, masking the fear in his eyes with anger. "I've never been one for manners. Why don't you take your pack and go right to hell?"

They sprung. Derek shifted to wolf form and went after the lead alpha. The twins lept at the middle taking him from the sides. Stiles knew Derek could take one alpha any day. Two? Probably. But three? This wasn't going to end well.

Skin tore, flesh flew, blood poured. Derek was holding his own against the twins when the leader wolf shifted and joined the fray. Derek was exhausted and losing blood. A blow to the back of his head from the lead alpha ended it. He fell to the ground, no longer strong enough to stand up, battered, bleeding and broken.

Stiles wanted to rush out and stop it all, but he knew that if he did, all Derek had done for him would be for nothing. All he could do was pray that the wolf would survive this and watch in horror as the twins wrenched Derek's hands behind him, holding him up in a standing position. Though the twin wolves were sporting some nasty cuts, Derek looked way worse.

"Let me introduce myself," the leader said to the injured alpha as he wiped blood from his face from where Derek had gotten a chunk of his face. "I'm Deucalion, and if you don't tell me where the boy is, I can be your worst nightmare."

Derek spat blood out at Deucalion's shoes. "I already have a worst nightmare. Sorry, you're not it."

Deucalion grinned as his nails extended into claws. "You're funny, Hale. But that's not going to save you. Let me ask again. Where is your pet human?"

"I'm not telling you a damned thing," Derek hissed.

Deucalion punched him in the face, growing annoyed. The sound of impact crunched painfully as Derek growled, his eyes flashing red. A dark bruise was already forming on Derek's cheek. Blood streamed out of his nose.

"Will you tell me, now?"

"Hell no."

More blows came to Derek. So many, Stiles lost count. The hits were so powerful that blood began to pour out of Derek's ears. He would've fell to the ground if the twin alphas hadn't been gripping his arms behind his back with their claws, streams of blood flowing from where they punctured his skin.

"What about now?" Deucalion asked, panting.

Derek was barely conscious. Still, being stubborn only as he is, he shook his head weakly. So Deucalion sent bone-crushing blows to Derek's ribs, shattering them.

Derek choacked, sucking in greedy breaths, wheezing the whole time. He was in agony, but he wouldn't betray Stiles. He couldn't. He had to protect him, at all cost. Everything was growing so fuzzy at the corner of his vision, though. He couldn't... couldn't stay awake much longer.

"This is the last time I'll ask before I end your life. Are you really going to die for a human?"

Both Stiles and Derek knew the answer to that question even before the werewolf wheezed, "Yes, I will."

Deucalion snorted. "Pathetic." He raised a clawed hand to Derek's throat, ready for the final blow. Derek's eyes met his murderer's, looking death right in the face.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Best Part of Me**

**By wolfgal97**

Stiles didn't let it come. The boy was only seeing red. No one was going to take Derek from him. They'd been through way too much together to let him die now. And so Stiles charged out of the bush, screaming at the top of his lungs. He tackled an alpha.

The werewolf didn't know what had hit him. Deucalion was even more surprised when the teen found a stick in his rage and began bludgeoning him in the head. Blood was rushing in his ears so he didn't hear Isaac and Peter calling to him. Only the roar of pure rage at the thought that this monster had hurt his Derek.

Only when the teen wolf gently pulled the stick from Stiles' hands did the human realize that one of the twins was dead and the other had run off. The werewolf he was beating was out cold, not dead. Stiles was somewhat grateful that he hadn't killed him, but a part of him wanted to end the monster's life.

All of a sudden, the pounding in his ears stopped and he was able to think again. "Derek," he breathed before flying to the wounded werewolf's side.

Derek was swaying. He was going to fall. Stiles wouldn't let that happen. He was by the werewolf's side in a heartbeat, eyes wide with horror as he studied Derek's battered body. His shirt had been torn off and every exposed inch of him was cut, broken, bleeding or bruised. Especially the gushing cut to his stomach that the lead alpha had managed to deliver just before Stiles attacked him.

Stiles' hand found the back of Derek's neck while his other hand ghosted gently down his face, cupping Derek's cheek. Derek leaned into the boy's soft touch, enjoying the heat of the boy's skin on his. His eyes were only half open as he watched the teen study him with wide eyed horror.

Derek felt his knees giving way and he had to brace himself on Stiles' shoulder. Every little bit of him ached, but it was all okay because Stiles was safe. And even when he toppled over and Stiles had to lower him gently to the ground where Derek coughed up blood, he didn't regret a thing.

"Derek? Derek, buddy, talk to me! What do I have to? How can I help? I'll do anything!" Stiles pleaded, tears coming to his eyes.

"I'll b-be f-f-fine... Just... Just need... to heal..."

"Derek? Derek, don't you dare close your eyes! Don't do it! You can't sleep now!"

Stiles heard low whining sounds coming from Isaac who stood back a few feet, sad eyes looking down on his fallen alpha. Peter bent down opposite Stiles and began looking over Derek's wounds.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Peter commented quietly. "And he's in pain."

Stiles didn't hear it. His eyes were locked on Derek's, which were beginning to close. The teen began stoking Derek's hair, trying to comfort the werewolf. "I'm so sorry, Derek. I'm so, so sorry."

Peter growled at the boy. "Stiles! You need to snap out of it and help us. If you don't, he'll die."

Stiles nodded, feeling very small and weak all of the sudden. "What do you need me to do?"

"I would be taking his pain for him, but at this point, the pain is the only thing keeping him awake and alive. I have to do something and then I need you to put pressure on this large wound while I get the smaller ones," Peter said, gesturing to the hole in Derek's stomach that exposed the white of his ribs.

Stiles nodded and pulled off his shirt, ready to use the cloth to put pressure on the wound.

"Isaac, Run to the house and call the vet. Ask him what he needs and get it for him," Peter commanded. "Then, call Scott and tell him to get here now, no excuses. We need muscle at the house in case what's left of their pack comes back while our alpha is down. Go now!"

Isaac bolted in the dark to the house to follow out orders. That's when Peter looked to Stiles. "I have to hurt him to get him to wake up long enough to get him home. He's weak, but if he attacks, he's strong enough to hurt me. Keep him calm while I do this."

Stiles clutched Derek's hand like if he let go, the wolf would die. That's when Peter took a claw and drove it into Derek's large wound. The alpha startled and howled with pain, the sound being half human and half animal. His eyes burned red, in a blind haze. His back arched off the ground in agony as more muscle and flesh twisted. His teeth snapped at the air frantically until his wide eyes landed on Stiles. One look at Stiles' terrified face brought him back to a calm again.

"Pressure. Now!" Peter yelled. Stiles leaned his full weight on the bloody wound, trying to stanch the bleeding. He held it and held it and held it until his arms when numb. It was then that Peter gently pushed him off.

"It's stopped enough that I can carry him."

"How is he doing?"

"Well, I'm not a doctor, but his heart is pumping very slow. It's steady, but faint. There's hope."

Stiles gulped and watched as Peter pulled Derek up bridal style into his arms. The werewolf then took off into the night, cradling his dying nephew. Stiles followed at full speed, barely be able to keep Peter in his vision.

The teen was beyond winded when they made the run back to the Hale house. Peter was still trucking as he took Derek up stairs and put the younger wolf on his bed. Stiles was right behind him.

The alpha wasn't awake and he wasn't moving. Stiles' heart froze in his throat.

Isaac pounded up the stairs, followed by another set of footsteps. The teen and Dr. Deaton came through the door, causing Stiles to sigh a breath of relief. Deaton could fix everything. He just had to.

The vet's eyes went wide when they spotted the battered werewolf. "Isaac tells me an alpha pack attacked you," the vet said.

"Yes," Peter confirmed, taking on role as leader, being the oldest.

"How many were there? How long was the fight?"

Both werewolves look the the teen human in the room. Stiles had been the one who saw everything. Stiles was going to have to provide the information.

Stiles took a breath. "There were three of them. There was a short fight between Derek and two of them, but he was blind-sided by their leader. After that, they tried to get him to say were I was and... he wouldn't. It was maybe about ten minutes, but it felt like forever."

The vet's hands were all over Derek, cleaning wounds and patching them together. "I can't give him stitches. He'll heal too fast and it'll be a pain to get them out. Tape is all I can do," Deaton explained while taping the edges of Derek's flesh together.

Isaac whimpered in the corner. He had a hard time watching his savior, the man that had given him everything, his strong alpha, looking so frail and on the edge of death.

"Isaac," Peter said gently, "go downstairs."

The teen wolf didn't argue. He cast one more sad look at Derek and flew out of the room, a sad howl echoing through the house trailing after him.

"I need everyone out," Deaton said. "This is going to get messy."

"But-" Stiles tried to argue, but Peter pulled him out of the room before he could. He didn't want to be separated from Derek. He felt that he needed to be at his side, making sure he was safe. But the iron arms of Derek's uncle wouldn't let him wriggle away.

So he waited. He waited five minutes. Ten. Thirty. An hour. By then, he'd practically worn a hole in the floor from pacing. He probably worn hole in Peter's patients, too. He'd been mumbling random things over the last hour in a nervous babble.

Finally, Deaton came downstairs, bloody and bag in hand. He descended the stairs, rubbing a crick in his neck. He looked absolutely exhausted as he came to find the small pack in the living room. Isaac had just gotten back a few minutes ago after a long run.

"How is he?" Stiles asked.

"He's... stable. I gave him painkillers. He's going to need them. I set his bones and it's mostly bruises and cuts that need to heal, now."

"Is he awake yet?" Stiles asked anxiously.

"Yes, he is. And he was asking about you."

Stiles hadn't heard that last part because as soon as he knew Derek was conscious he was up the stairs. The teen made his way into Derek's room. He saw the werewolf's grey eyes trained on him when he came in the door, expecting.

"Derek," the teen breathed.

He looked rough. White bandages wrapped around his whole torso, but also patched here and there on his arms. The cuts around his face had a few butterfly bandages holding them together, but you could still clearly see the bruises, all different shades of colors.

No one moved. Derek just watched him. Stiles couldn't breath. What could he say? Thank you for taking a beating for me? Thanks for almost dying for me? How can I ever repay you, kind hero?

"You can come in, you know," Derek finally said bluntly. His poor voice was rough, like his throat was raw. Stiles cringed at the weak tone.

He came closer to the bed, never getting close enough to touch it. He didn't know if Derek wanted him to get too close right now.

"I'm sorry," Stiles whispered.

Derek cocked his head to the side, a confused puppy look. "Sorry? For what?"

"For you... getting hurt... It's my fault. If you hadn't been protecting me-"

"Stiles?" Derek interrupted softly.  
"What?"

"Shut up."

Stiles frowned. "Derek, you almost died tonight, protecting the weakest member of your pack. Maybe... maybe you should give me the bite, so that this won't ever happen again. Then I can take care of myself."

Derek struggled to sit up, using his elbows to wriggle. It was agony on his ribs, and Stiles almost went to help him, but he knew that it would only hurt the stupid wolf's pride.

So Derek struggled and it showed on his face as he sagged against the headboard, his energy spent. He patted the spot on the bed next to him, telling the human to come over to him.

Stiles hesitated. Would he hurt him? He'd never worried about Derek before, but all torn up in bed, he looked so fragile. Still, something in him demanded for him to go to Derek.

Stiles sat down very carefully, making sure not to jostle the bed. Derek glared at him. "I'm not a frigging china doll, Stiles," he growled while pulling the teen closer to his side.

"Look at me," Derek demanded when the teen tried to look away.

Stiles did as told, his eyes sucked into Derek's. "Do you want to be a werewolf?"

Stiles swallowed. "I should be one."

"That's not what I asked. Do you want to be a werewolf?"

"No... but I could keep myself safe, then."

"No you couldn't Stiles. They know I care about you. And even if you were a wolf, you know we work in packs. I wouldn't have left you, no matter what out there. You are pack, no matter what. So, I won't be turning you anytime soon. If you still want to be a werewolf after I deal with this alpha pack problem, you can ask me then."

Stiles sank a little. "Derek, you need to worry about you. You almost died today."

Derek glared at the boy. "Are you that stupid? Stiles, I'm always going to worry about you first."

"I know! But you shouldn't. The pack needs you and I'm... I'm disposable."

"No, you're really not, Stiles. The pack needs you just as much, if not more than me. You hold us together. You keep us in touch with our human side. We need you. I... I need you," Derek admitted quietly.

Stiles blinked. "You do? Why? What for?"

Derek reached out and took Stiles' hand, pulling the teen to the bed. He didn't let go, even when Stiles was sitting next to him on the bed. "Because... you make me want to be more like you. You make me want to be a better person. You bring out the human in me."

"I do?" Stiles asked, eyes shinning with awe.

Derek's hand squeezed his. "Yeah, Stiles. You really do. And I don't think that I can lose you. So I will always fight for you, because losing you would mean losing the best part of me."


End file.
